Oil skimmer

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for removing oil or other pollutants from the surface of water, comprising a platform having a left side wall, a right side wall, a rear wall, a front opening, a floor, and a bottom, one or more ballasts which adjust the platform floor relative to a level of oil on the water surface, wherein the oil flows from the front opening across the floor to the rear wall, a rear location near the rear wall to collect the oil from the platform floor; and a pump connected to the rear location that removes the oil from the rear location to a storage area which does not affect the ballast of the platform. The skimmer vessel can work stationary in the water, and does not require a propeller means, as the oil will continue to flow into the skimmer as the oil is pumped out of the rear by the gravity flow to the rear of the vessel.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/018,043, filed 11 Sep. 2020 (issued as U.S. Pat. No. 11,261,105 on 1 Mar. 2022), which is a continuation of U.S. Patent application Ser. No. 16/219,133, filed 13 Dec. 2018 (issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,800,674 on 13 Oct. 2020), which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/973,081, filed 17 Dec. 2015 (issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,202,290 on 12 Feb. 2019), which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/093,846, filed 18 Dec. 2014, incorporated herein by reference and priority of which is hereby claimed.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable

REFERENCE TO A “MICROFICHE APPENDIX”

Not applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The apparatus of the present invention relates to skimming devices. More particularly, this invention relates to skimming devices for removal of oil or other pollutants from the surface water.

2. General Background of the Invention

There are skimming devices in the art, however, it is desirable that a skimming apparatus be a simple device that can work stationary in the water, and does not require a propeller or pulling means for operation, and easily adjustable so that the mouth of the skimmer sits at the interface of the oil and the water. It is also desirable that a user not need to continually adjust the skimmer elevation during use.

Examples of possibly related patents directed to such devices are listed in the following table.

The following U.S. Patents are incorporated herein by reference:

TABLE ISSUE DATE PAT. NO. TITLE MM-DD-YYYY 3,704,784 Floating Oil Skimmer 12-05-1972 3,730,346 Skimming System 05-01-1973 3,754,653 Apparatus and Method for 08-28-1973 Collection of Oil from Surface of the Sea 3,822,789 Oil Skimmer Module with Free 07-09-1974 Floating Weir Trough 3,862,904 Boat for collecting oil slicks and 01-28-1975 other contaminants from the surface of water 3,951,810 Oil skimmer module with free 04-20-1976 floating weir trough 4,208,287 Oil spill skimmer 06-17-1980 4,477,348 Open Sea Skimmer Barge 10-16-1984 5,043,065 Variable draft oil/debris skimming 08-27-1991 vessel 5,216,974 Vessel for collecting and separating 06-08-1993 oil/water in a marine environment using submerged internal collection and separation 5,478,483 Oil spill skimmer with adjustable 12-26-1995 floating weir 5,753,108 Integrated oil response and 05-19-1998 recovery system and method and skimmer for use therein 6,471,862 Oil skimming apparatus 10-29-2002

Incorporated herein by reference are U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/163,196, filed 17 Jun. 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,696,242, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/355,911, filed 17 Jun. 2010. However, this is not a continuation or continuation-in-part of any patent application.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The apparatus of the present invention includes a platform having a left side wall, a right side wall, a rear wall, a front opening, a floor, and a bottom, one or more ballasts which adjust the platform floor relative to a level of oil on the water surface, wherein the oil flows from the front opening across the floor to the rear wall, a rear location near the rear wall to collect the oil from the platform floor, and a pump connected to the rear location that removes the oil from the rear location to a storage area which does not affect the ballast of the platform. The apparatus of the present invention also includes a spud and a spud sleeve.

Preferably, the floor is unobstructed.

Preferably, the bottom is flat.

Preferably, the level of the platform floor is variable to the consistency of the oil or pollutant on the water surface.

The apparatus can further comprise one or more propellers attached to the platform to self-propel the platform through the water.

Preferably, the apparatus further comprises a second vessel in which the oil is contained.

The apparatus can be moved by a hydraulic propeller, an outboard or a small boat.

Preferably, a vertical wall separates the ballast tanks.

Preferably, the combination of the spud and spud sleeve can stabilize the skimmer.

The apparatus of the present invention includes a platform having a left side wall, a right side wall, a rear wall, a front opening, a floor, and a bottom, one or more ballasts which adjust the platform floor relative to a level of oil on the water surface, wherein the oil flows from the front opening across the floor to the rear wall, a rear location or area near the rear wall to collect the oil from the platform floor, and a pump connected to the rear location or area that moves the oil from the rear location or area to a storage area which does not affect the ballast of the platform. Preferably, there are at least 4 ballast tanks, two fore and two rear, and slightly more water can be put in the rear tanks to cause the oil to more easily flow toward the back.

The apparatus of the present invention includes a platform having a left side wall, a right side wall, a rear wall, a front opening, a floor, and a bottom, one or more ballasts which adjust the platform floor relative to a level of oil on the water surface, a rear location near the rear wall to collect the oil from the platform floor, and a pump connected to the rear location that moves the oil from the rear location to a storage area which does not affect the ballast of the platform, wherein the oil flows from the front opening across the floor to the rear wall when the front opening is below the surface of the oil.

The present invention includes an apparatus for removing oil or other pollutants from the surface of water, comprising a platform having a left side wall, a right side wall, a rear wall, a front opening, an unobstructed floor, and a flat bottom, one or more ballasts located in the platform, wherein the ballasts adjust the platform floor relative to a predetermined level of oil on the water surface, one or more propellers attached to the platform to self-propel the platform through the water, wherein the oil flows from the front opening across the floor to the rear wall as the platform is being self-propelled, a rear location or area near the rear wall to collect the oil from the platform floor, and a pump connected to the rear location or area that removes the oil from the rear location or area to a storage area.

Preferably, the platform floor floats right below the surface of the oil.

Preferably, the ballasts are located in the left side wall and the right side wall.

Preferably, the rear location or area is a box or tank.

Preferably, the pump is a hydraulic pump.

Preferably, the rear location or area sits at a lower elevation than the floor.

The present invention includes an apparatus for removing oil or other pollutants from the surface of water, comprising a platform having a left side wall, a right side wall, a rear wall, a front opening, an unobstructed floor, and a flat bottom, one or more ballasts located in the platform, wherein the ballasts adjust the platform floor relative to a predetermined level of oil on the water surface, one or more propellers attached to the platform to self-propel the platform through the water, wherein the oil flows from the front opening across the floor to the rear wall as the platform is being self-propelled, a rear location near the rear wall to collect the oil from the platform floor, and a pump connected to the rear location that moves the oil from the rear location to a storage area.

Preferably, the platform floor is about at the interface of the oil and the water. Preferably, the platform floor floats right below the surface of the oil. Preferably, the ballasts are located in the left side wall and the right side wall. Preferably, the rear location is a box or tank. Preferably, the pump is a hydraulic pump. Preferably, the rear location sits at a lower elevation than the floor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a further understanding of the nature, objects, and advantages of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, read in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front view of an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear view of an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a top view of an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a right side view of an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a left side view of an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a front view of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a rear view of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a top view of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a right side view of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a left side view of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 15 is a bottom view of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention; and

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention with the spuds in mud.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1-8 . The skimmer 10 of the present invention is a barge-style device for collecting oil or other pollutants from a water surface. The skimmer 10 can float right below the surface of the water. The skimmer can operate as a free standing vessel and does not need to be mounted to another vessel for operation. The skimmer of the present invention includes a right side wall/pontoon 20, a left side wall/pontoon 30, a rear wall 40, a floor 50 and a front opening 60. The floor of the skimmer is unobstructed. Floor 50 near opening 60 can be the same height as the part of floor 50 near the rear wall 40. The skimmer 10 has a bottom 70 as seen in FIG. 4-6 . The bottom 70 can be flat. Side walls/pontoons 20, 30 are angled at the ends 21, 31 closest to the front opening 60. The floor 50 extends from the front opening 60 to the rear wall 40. Side walls/pontoons can have bumpers 94 on the outside portion of the each wall 20, 30. The body of the skimmer 10 can be one piece, without any moveable parts.

The top of side walls/pontoons 20, 30 can have surface 90, on which a user can stand or sit and monitor the use of the skimmer 10. Railings 93 are attached onto surface 90 and can surround the skimmer floor. Railings 93 assist a user to move about the skimmer vessel during monitoring its use. Bridge 95 can be connected to surface 90 above and across the skimmer floor so that it does not interfere with the flow of oil into the skimmer. Access panels 53 can be located on surface 90 so that a user can access the interior of the skimmer and ballast tanks if necessary.

The skimmer has ballasts tanks 81, 82, 86, 87 that can be contained in body 11 of skimmer. The ballast tanks 81, 82, 86, 87 can sit on either side 20, 30 of the skimmer vessel so that the front opening 60 of the skimmer vessel can be adjusted to sit below the water surface at the level of the oil. Ballast tanks 81, 86 can be included in the front of pontoons 20, 30. Ballast tanks 82, 87 can be included in the rear of pontoon 20, 30. A wall 83 separates the front ballast tank 81, 86 from the rear ballast tank 82, 87. The wall 83 is preferably located in the middle of each pontoon. Optionally, the wall 83 can be located at any location in the pontoon 20, 30. This wall 83 allows slightly more water to be put in the rear tanks to cause the oil to more easily flow toward the back.

FIG. 17 is similar to FIG. 16 , but show spuds in the mud in about 5 feet of water, with vessel 110 at a slight tilt to back, showing the water line and oil line and the floor 50 at the front opening 60 at the oil/water interface (one adjusts the floor 50 at the front opening 60 to be at the interface by adjusting the ballast in the ballast tanks).

Inlets 84, 85 can be located on surface 90 of the skimmer apparatus. Front inlets 84 allow water to be added to the front ballast tanks 81, 86. Rear inlets 85 allow water to be added to the rear ballast tanks 82, 87. Vents 92 can be located on surface 90 and at the front and rear of each pontoon 20, 30. Vents 92 allow air to escape from the top of the ballast tank and be replaced by water entering through the ballast tank inlets 84, 85. The ballast tanks adjust the depth of the skimmer floor 50 into the oil and water so that the floor 50 sits at the interface of the oil and water. The platform floor is about one (1) to three (3) inches below the oil on the water surface, or variable to consistency of oil or pollutant floating on water surface. A storage vessel or barge 96 is connected to the skimmer 10 and holds all of the oil collected by the skimmer. During use, a user does not need to continually adjust the ballasts as the skimmer elevation does not change since the storage vessel/barge increases in weight due to the oil it picks up. The tanks are preferably ballasted so that the rear of the skimmer is preferably a little lower in elevation than the front of the skimmer.

The skimmer vessel can work stationary in the water, and does not require a propeller or pulling means for operation, as the oil will continue to flow into the skimmer as the oil is pumped out of the rear by the gravity flow to the rear of the vessel. The storage vessel or barge 96 can also be stationary with the skimmer vessel 10 while the barge pumps the oil from the skimmer vessel to the barge 96. The skimmer 10 can be self-propelled through a body of water with oil or other pollutants by the use of a propulsion device, preferably propellers, attached to the body 11 of the skimmer 10. Optionally, an outboard motor 99 with a propeller 100 or a hydraulic propeller can be attached to the skimmer. The skimmer can also be pushed with a small boat to direct it through the water.

When the skimmer floor 50 is at a desired level in the oil and water, oil flows into the front opening 60 onto the skimmer floor 50. The oil then moves across the floor 50 toward the rear wall 40, where the oil enters a rear location 80. The oil passes over grating 51 which can be located near rear wall 40. Grating 51 assists with preventing large debris from entering the rear location 80. The direction of the oil flow is indicated by arrow 52 in FIG. 3 . The rear location 80 is preferably a box or tank. The box or tank 80 is a collection area that can sit at a lower elevation than the skimmer floor 50 intake so that the oil flows from the floor 50 into the rear location 80. Once the oil enters the rear location 80, it moves from the rear location 80 to a storage area/barge 96 via a suction pipe 91, hose 97 and hydraulic pump 98. The suction pipe 91 can be adjustable. The suction pipe 91 attaches from the rear location/tank 80 and discharges the collected oil through a hose 97 to a storage area 96, such as a barge or second vessel that can be situated close to the skimmer vessel, such as for example behind the skimmer (see FIG. 8 ). The hydraulic pump 98 is connected to the hose 97 on the storage vessel 96. Optionally, the hydraulic pump can be connected to the hose on the skimmer apparatus 10.

The storage vessel or barge 96 can be 12 feet wide×4 feet high×20 feet long with a capacity of 7,000 gallons to 30 feet wide×8 feet high×120 feet long with a capacity of 168,300 gallons. Ranges of dimensions for the skimmer 10 can be 12-30 feet wide by 20-120 feet long by 4-8 feet high; for example, skimmer 10 can be 12 feet wide by 4 feet high, by 20 feet long, or any multiple size thereof. The storage vessel or barge has a capacity of 7,000-168,300 gallons, for example 7,000 gallons, or any multiple size thereof of oil or other pollutant.

Experimental results have shown about 95% oil pick up.

The skimmer 10 can be made of aluminum or steel. Exemplary dimensions of the skimmer 10 can be 12-36 feet wide by 20-60 feet long by 3-7 feet high, for example 12 feet wide by 20 feet long by 3 feet high or any multiple size thereof. Skimmer 10 can be sized up or down as desired or appropriate for a particular job.

While preferably the skimmer is self propelled, it can also be stationary and oil can feed into the box 80 via gravity alone when the front opening 60 is positioned at the oil water interface.

FIGS. 9-16 show a preferred embodiment of the skimmer 110 which includes a spud 101 with a lower pointed end 103 and an upper end and a spud sleeve 102 for receiving and positioning the spud 101. The combination of the spud 101 and spud sleeve 102 preferably serve to stabilize the skimmer 110. The spud sleeve 102 is preferably attached to the skimmer 110 and is preferably able to receive and position the spud 101, wherein the spud 101 is horizontally fixed in a single position and is able to move vertically relative to that single position. The spud sleeve 102 is preferably made of aluminum, steel, or any other durable material. The spud 101 is preferably square in shape and is preferably made of aluminum, steel, or any other durable material. Exemplary dimensions of spud 101 can be 6-8 inches wide by 6-8 inches long by 8-14 feet high, or any other suitable length for the conditions. The spud 101 preferably includes a lower pointed end 103 for enhancing the pressure to drive the spud through a floor surface by reducing contact area between the pointed end 103 and the floor surface. To stabilize the skimmer 110, the spud 101 that has been received and positioned by the spud sleeve 102 attached to the skimmer 110 can be preferably lowered vertically from a first position to a second position. In the first position, the lower pointed end 103 of the spud 101 has preferably not made contact with the floor surface. In the second position, the lower pointed end 103 of the spud 101 has preferably reached and penetrated the floor surface. Once the floor surface has been penetrated, the spud 101 is preferably affixed to the floor surface. To reverse the stabilization, the spud 101 that has been received and positioned by the spud sleeve 102 attached to the skimmer 110 can be preferably raised from the second position to the first position.

PARTS LIST

The following is a list of suitable parts and materials for the various elements of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Parts Number Description

-   -   10 skimmer     -   11 skimmer body     -   20 right side wall     -   21 end     -   30 left side wall     -   31 end     -   40 rear wall     -   50 floor     -   51 grating     -   52 arrow     -   53 access panel     -   60 front opening     -   70 bottom     -   80 rear location     -   81 front ballast tank     -   82 rear ballast tank     -   83 wall     -   84 front ballast inlet     -   85 rear ballast inlet     -   86 front ballast tank     -   87 rear ballast tank     -   90 surface     -   91 suction pipe     -   92 vent     -   93 railing     -   94 bumper     -   95 bridge     -   96 barge     -   97 hose     -   98 pump     -   99 outboard motor     -   100 propeller     -   101 spud     -   102 spud sleeve     -   103 lower pointed end of spud     -   104 upper end of spud     -   105 oil line (upper)     -   106 oil/water interface     -   107 mud line     -   110 skimmer

All measurements disclosed herein are at standard temperature and pressure, at sea level on Earth, unless indicated otherwise.

The foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only; the scope of the present invention is to be limited only by the following claims. 

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method of removing oil or other floating pollutants from a surface of water, comprising: a) providing a floating hull having an overall hull length, a front, a rear, and a pair of generally parallel spaced apart pontoons, each having a pontoon length each pontoon having an inner wall and an outer wall, said hull having a front oil or other pollutant intake opening, a generally rectangular hull floor having an elevation, a rear wall that spans from one pontoon inner wall to the other pontoon inner wall at the rear of the hull, and a hull bottom spaced below the floor that extends from one pontoon outer wall to the other pontoon outer wall, and wherein the overall length of the hull is defined by the length of each pontoon; b) each pontoon providing one or more ballast tanks which enable adjustment of the hull floor elevation relative to an elevation of oil or other pollutants on the water surface; c) providing a grating and a tank at a rear area to collect oil or other pollutants that flows aft from the front intake opening and across the hull floor, the tank extending below the grating and aft of the floor and in between the pontoon inner walls; d) providing a pumping system connected to the tank at the rear area that moves the oil or other pollutants from the tank to a storage area which does not affect the one or more ballast tanks of each said pontoon of the hull, wherein the front opening is maintained by the ballast tanks below the elevation of the oil or other pollutants, and the oil or other pollutants flow from the front intake opening across the floor to the grating, wherein the grating is positioned in front of the rear wall; e) providing a spud; and f) providing a spud sleeve for receiving and positioning the spud onto the hull.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein in step “b” the hull floor is about where the oil or other pollutants and the water interface.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein in step “b” the hull floor floats immediately below the level of the oil or other pollutants on the water surface.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein in step “d” the pumping system is a hydraulic pumping system.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein in step “c” the rear area sits at a lower elevation than the floor.
 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising one or more propellers attached to the floating hull and propelling the hull with the one or more propellers.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the floor is unobstructed.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the floating hull is moved by a hydraulic propeller, an outboard, or a small boat.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage area includes a second vessel in which the oil or other pollutants is contained.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the hull bottom is flat. 